Juan Pretorius, NSRI Port Alfred station commander, said:
At 07h34, on the morning of Tuesday, 24th July, NSRI Port Alfred volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a man swept off West Pier by a wave, into the Kowie River, Port Alfred, and being swept out to sea through the river mouth.
According to eye-witnesses the man was standing on West Pier when a wave swept him into the water.
Our NSRI Port Alfred volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft Arthur Scales, in 4 meter breaking swells, and the SA Police Force and Gardmed ambulance services responded.
On arrival on-scene our NSRI crew, aboard our sea rescue boat Arthur Scales, found the man floating face down in the water just off East Beach. (He had been swept through the river mouth and around East Pier, towards East Beach, by rip currents).
The man was recovered onto our sea rescue boat and our NSRI medics commenced Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and on arrival in the harbour the victim was transferred into the Gardmed ambulance and CPR continued in the ambulance en-route to hospital but once in hospital doctors declared the man dead despite extensive CPR efforts.
A local doctor, Dr. Nel, who happened to be there at the time, also assisted with CPR on-scene.
Police have opened an inquest docket and the name of the man, believed to be from Port Elizabeth and estimated to be aged in his fifties, has not been released.
-ENDS-
Released by:
Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Communications
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